Communication networks are often the medium through which digital content distributors transmit protected content. Communications protocols and content formatting standards have been developed which standardize how certain types of protected content are conveyed over various types of communication network architectures. However, new technologies are emerging with respect to the communications systems used, the content formatting standards applicable with new types of content, and the network architectures which may be utilized by the distributing and/or receiving parties of the protected content.
Given the ongoing changes in the technologies used in distributing and viewing protected content, currently available protocols and standards are often not adequate or operable for attaining acceptable interoperability among systems using different protocols or content formatted according to different standards. Furthermore, as new protocols for communication networks and/or new standards for new content formats are implemented to accommodate changes in technology, existing protocols or standard may not be adequate to fully or even partially implement the changes in technology.
In the case of video-based protected content, especially those which rely on high efficiency compression methods to enable transport through communications networks, the need for interoperability among new technologies, new protocols and new standards is especially high. This is partly due to the wide variety of technical options constantly being developed for packaging video-based protected content for distribution. It is also due to the wide variety of usage options being developed and deployed for the end consumers of video-based protected content.